Back in April, it was reported by ESPN that free-agent defensive lineman Mike Pennel is a “person of interest” in connection with the death of a woman who’s body was discovered on a property in the Dominic Republic that was previously owned by Pennel.
Pennel called the report “fake news,” and his lawyer said Pennel didn’t know the woman. ESPN now reports that Pennel did indeed know the woman.
Citing “interviews with people close to the victim and police records reviewed by ESPN,” ESPN reports that Pennel “frequently spent time” with Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche when Pennel was in the Dominican Republic.
The female victim was reported missing on Sept. 11, 2021 and her body was discovered in January 2026, when the new owner of the property was doing excavation work. Pennel and his lawyer did not respond to “several messages” from ESPN seeking comment.
Undrafted in 2014, Pennel has played for the Packers, Jets, Chiefs, Falcons, Bears, and Bengals. In 2025, he appeared in eight games with the Bengals and eight with the Chiefs.
In 12 years, he has 154 regular-season appearances and 27 starts. He was apart of the Chiefs’ LIV and LVIII Super Bowl teams.
